Nontilt deep well apparatus



April 10, 1951 c. A. HENYAN NONTILT DEEP WELL APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9,1948 Patented Apr. 10, 1951 2,548,158 NONTILT DEEP WELL APPARATUS ClareA. Henyan, Newark, Ohio, assignor to Newark Stove Company, Newark, Ohio,a corporation of Ohio Application December 9, 1948, Serial No. 64,408

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to oven cooking apparatus and is concernedmore particularly with an improved type of subsurface or deep wellheating fixture.

In mechanisms of the general class to which this invention relates,there is presented a fundamental problem of manipulating heating plateunits so that they may be supported at various and adjustable levelsunder conditions of secure and positive regulation, taking into accountthat at times the heating apparatus may be too hot to be handleddirectly and taking into account, also, that because of the submergenceof the apparatus and resultant inaccessibilityto observation, properplacement and security of adjustment are ofttimes a matter of chance.

A principal object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a deepwell cooking and heating apparatus in which the adjustable level heatingunit is positively and securely engaged during adjustment andmanipulation and following variable level placement is assured ofpositive balanced support.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustablelevel heating plate which is supported upon a plurality of radiatingsecurement members under conditions of nested radial support so as notto be susceptible of overbalancing even when subjected to oil-centerloads.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the invention, reference willnow be had to the particular details of construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and to the following detailed description in whichlike reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout; andin which,

Fig. 1 is a diminutive perspective view of a deep well cooking fixturewith parts broken away to reveal interior features;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of an adjustablelevel heating plate and a portion of its radial element supportingfixtures;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the supportingfixtures and regulating mechamsm;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed elevational view of the same apparatusfeatured in Fig. 3 during an intermediate condition of adjustment;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 4 showing a further condition ofadjustment;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of a supportingelement; and

Fig. '7 is a diminutive plan view of the heating element featuring theangular disposition of its radial supporting spiders and arms.

This invention is an improvement upon the class of apparatus which isillustrated in copending applications serially numbered 611,526, nowPatent #2,497,258, and 686,010, now Patent #1485598, filed August 20,1945, and July 24, 1946, respectively.

In the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral ll designatesgenerally an outermost jacket of cylindrical conformation fabricated ofsheet metal and provided with a circular supporting lip l2 spot weldedas at I3 at various points at the upper peripheral edge of the jacket llso as to effect integration between the two members. conventionally, thetop table surface of a domestic cooking range is provided with acircular opening into which the jacket H may enter and descend its fulllength to be supported by the flange ring l2. Thus, the jacket llconstitutes a protective enclosure for shielding the well against dustinfiltration as well as to provide support by means of the verticalslots l4, preferably three in number, to a series of radially extendingarms !5, Fig. 7, which form part of a spider assembly generallydesignated 16.

In the instant embodiment, the spider assembly I6 is comprised of a ringmember which supports the burner proper ll and has secured to it as bywelding is, the upstanding portions 59 of which the arms l5 are anintegral part. A flange 2| of the spider ring I6 is diminished so as tonestle snugly yet slidably within the confines of the well jacket llpermitting sufiicient space therebetween and radially thereabout,nevertheless, so that there may be received the three vertical elements22 of a manipulator, as best indicated in Fig. l.

The manipulator is a welded assembly which includes a top ring 23flanked by the fold over gripping handles 2t and to which are securedthe three vertical elements 22, preferably as by spot welding, and alowermost skirting ring 25, Fig. 2, to which are secured the lowerextremities of the elements 22 as at 26 by spot welding.

In order to assure that the spider projections or arms I5 be placed inproper axial and radial alignment, the elements 22 as well as the arms15 are radially spaced in a significant nonequal angular spacing so thatthe distances between them differ, as, for example, in the order of 110,and degrees, assuring of particular place ment during assembly andduring field readjustment. This arrangement is deemed desirable in orderthat the electrical connections between the heating plate and the sourcewithin the oven conform with original plans and designs in order relatedarm 12 may recede so that the adjacent projection 36 may afford purchaseduring the act of rotating the spider arms when the heating plate H ispositioned into its upper or at an intermediate level of the well jacketH, such .as is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

In the chosen embodiment of illustration, the

jacket H is indicated as having but one series of upper level supportingslots 36 each of Which is located at the uppermost extremity of itsrelated vertical slot I4. By referring to the copending applications, itwill be understood that a plurality of such series of slots 36 may beprovided at different levels for affording a range of placements for theheating plate l1. Each such sidewardly extending slot 35 is shaped withdownwardly curved nesting'recesses 31, Figs. 4 and 5. so that theadjacent upstanding lug 38 will constitute a barrier against rotation ofthe heating plate H and consequent displacement of a related arm throughinadvertence. Thereafter, when the manipulator is disengaged from theseveral arms l5 and is permitted to settle into its submerged inactiveposition, the heating plate ll will be securely maintained at its placedlevel even though objects of frictional engagement, when seated on thesurface of the plate ll, tend to impart a radial shifting thereto orunder conditions when small weighty objects are placed on the plate H inoff-center or overbalancing position.

When the plate ll is'permitted to descend to its lowermost level, nospecial provision need be made to thus secure it against inadvertentoverbalancing or tilting, as above described. Hence, the lowermostextremities of the slots [4 may terminate with simple filletedcurvatures. When other intermediate level slots 36 are preferred, theywill, of course, resemble in profile those of the uppermost level whichhave been detailedly illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

During operation the attendant may move the heating plate ll, eventhough its surface temperature is too high to permit direct personalcontact, by means of the manipulator, Fig. 1, which will be raised byengagement of the two handles 2% until there is encountered the severalarms l5 at the previous placed level. By counterclockwise rotation thesearms I5 willbe shifted into the sidewardly extending projections 32 ofthe manipulator elements 22, and by being lifted and thence rotatedfurther in a counterclockwise direction, the spider .arms l5 will beraised out of the recesses 31 ove the hump projections 38 to be liftedor lowered to the next level of adjustment. The placement of the heaterat a new level is performed by a reversal of the aforedescribed sequenceof operations after which the manipulator may again be restored to itsinactive position. This operation may even be carried on while an objectunder cooking or heating is resting on the surface heater ll.

While the present invention has been explained and described withreference to a specific contemplation of embodiment, it will beunderstood, nevertheless, that numerous modifications and variations aresusceptible of incorporation without departing from the essential spiritor scope therof. It is, accordingly, not intended to be limited by thedetails of the accompanying drawings nor by the particular languageemployed in the foregoing description except as indicated in thehereunto appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A mechanism for regulating the level of an electric heating platecomprising, a plate supporting spider having three radially extendingsupport rods, a cylindrical well jacketing having vertical slotsradially spaced in correspondence with the radial spacing of said rods,said slots having sets of sidewardly extending notches at predeterminedlevels each similarly profiled to r said elements terminating at theirlower extremities with side notches and hump projections which areprofiled in vertically inverse outline to those of said j acketing slotnotches.

2. A mechanism for regulating a vertically movable electric heatingplate comprising, a plate supporting fixture having radially extendingsupport rods, a cylindrical well jacketing having vertical slots spacedin correspondence with said rods in which are formed perpendicularlyextending notches at predetermined levels each profiled to present acurvature to support a re lated one of said rods, and a manipulatorcomprising a ring from which hang downwardly three vertically slottedelements for engaging said support rods, the slots in said elementsterminating at their lower extremities with notches profiled invertically inverse outline to those of said jacketing slot notches.

3. A deep well cooking apparatus for electric ranges comprising acylindrical jacket having circumferentially spaced vertical slots, aheating plate having radially extending arms with extremities extendingthrough said slots for vertical movement therein, a manipulatorcomprising a ring from which depend a number of vertically slottedelements adapted to fit between said heating plate and said jacket, saidjacket and said depending elements each having in their vertical slotssidewardly extending notches but the notches of said jacket being ofinverse profile to those of said depending elements, the notches of saiddepending elements defining nesting curvatures and barrier lugsintervening between the nesting curvatures and their related slotswhereby said heating plate arm extremities may be retained in saidcurvatures and be prevented from sliding into said slots inadvertently.

CLARE" A. HENYAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

